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Floaters and flashes in the eyes
Dots and lines (floaters) or flashes of light in your vision are common. They're not usually serious.
Floaters and flashes are usually harmless
If you sometimes see:
floaters – such as small dark dots, squiggly lines, rings or cobwebs
flashes of light
in your vision, it's not usually a sign of anything serious, especially if:
you've had them for a long time
they're not getting worse
your vision is not affected
Flashes may eventually stop, and floaters often become less noticeable as you get used to them.
Urgent advice:
Get advice from 111 now if:
floaters or flashes appear suddenly
the number of floaters or flashes suddenly increases
you have a dark "curtain" or shadow moving across your vision
you also have blurred vision
you also have eye pain
floaters start after eye surgery or an eye injury
These could be signs of a serious problem with the back of your eye, which could permanently affect your vision if it's not treated quickly.
Go to 111.nhs.uk or call 111. They can tell you the right place to get help if you need to see someone.
Other ways to get help
What happens at your appointment
Your eyes will be checked to see if you might need to be seen by an eye doctor (ophthalmologist) for more tests or treatment.
You'll usually only need treatment if you have a problem that could affect your vision.
Causes of floaters and flashes
Lots of people, particularly older people, get floaters and flashes.
They're usually caused by a harmless process called posterior vitreous detachment (PVD), where the gel inside your eyes changes.
Sometimes they can be caused by retinal detachment.
This is serious and can lead to permanent vision loss if not treated.
Floaters and flashes can also happen for no obvious reason.
Page last reviewed: 16 July 2020
Next review due: 16 July 2023
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